In the theory of Margo Schulter, interseptimal is a category of intervals which occupy regions intermediate between two septimal ratios such as 8/7 and 7/6, or 12/7 and 7/4. There are four interseptimal regions given below, with approximate cents ranges from Schulter's article Regions of the Interval Spectrum:
Maj2-min3 -- intermediate between 8/7 and 7/6 -- 240¢-260¢
Maj3-4 -- intermediate between 9/7 and 21/16 -- 440¢-468¢
5-min6 -- intermediate between 32/21 and 14/9 -- 732¢-760¢
Maj6-min7 -- intermediate between 12/7 and 7/4 -- 940¢-960¢
Interseptimal intervals are well-represented in 24edo at 250¢, 450¢, 750¢ and 950¢. They also appear in 19edo and 29edo.
As they fall in ambiguous zones between simpler categories, they are inevitably xenharmonic. This also makes them difficult to name: do we classify a 250-cent interval as a second, a third, both, or neither? One option is to give each region a distinct name (analogous to using the word tritone rather than diminished fifth or augmented fourth). Possible names that could be used are:
240¢-260¢ -- semifourth -- an interval of this size is around half the size of a perfect fourth.
440¢-468¢ -- semisixth -- an interval of this size is around half the size of a major sixth.
732¢-760¢ -- semitenth -- an interval of this size is around half the size of a major tenth (i. e., compound major third). Another possible name is sesquifourth (since this is also about one and a half times the size of a perfect fourth).
940¢-960¢ -- semitwelfth -- an interval of this size is around half the size of a perfect twelfth (i e., a compound perfect fifth, or tritave). All even edts have a semitwelfth of approximately 951 cents, analogous to the 600 cent tritone shared by all even edos.
This makes notating these intervals very easy as long as we have an agreed-upon symbol for "semi".
By analogy the tritone could also be called a semioctave, although the term tritone is so well-established that seems is little reason to change it now. A key difference is that the tritone is intermediate between two septimal ratios separated by a jubilisma (50:49), whereas the other interseptimal ranges listed above are between two septimal ratios separated by a slendro diesis (49:48).
Examples
Some interseptimal intervals in all four ranges, both just and tempered, are listed below.
Interseptimal intervals are well-represented in 24edo at 250¢, 450¢, 750¢ and 950¢. They also appear in 19edo and 29edo.
As they fall in ambiguous zones between simpler categories, they are inevitably xenharmonic. This also makes them difficult to name: do we classify a 250-cent interval as a second, a third, both, or neither? One option is to give each region a distinct name (analogous to using the word tritone rather than diminished fifth or augmented fourth). Possible names that could be used are:
This makes notating these intervals very easy as long as we have an agreed-upon symbol for "semi".
By analogy the tritone could also be called a semioctave, although the term tritone is so well-established that seems is little reason to change it now. A key difference is that the tritone is intermediate between two septimal ratios separated by a jubilisma (50:49), whereas the other interseptimal ranges listed above are between two septimal ratios separated by a slendro diesis (49:48).
Examples
Some interseptimal intervals in all four ranges, both just and tempered, are listed below.Maj2-min3 - 240¢-260¢
Maj3-4 - 440-468
5-min6 - 732¢-760¢
Maj6-min7 - 940-960
See: Interval Category, Gallery of Just Intervals